Karting star Ticktum confirmed for MSA Formula

24 February, 2015 – Another superstar driver from the world of karting is to step up to car racing with MSA Formula. The crack Fortec Motorsports team today announces that 15-year-old Daniel Ticktum is to join its squad this season to race one of its Ford EcoBoost-powered chassis.

Sussex-based Ticktum rose to prominence in cadet karting in 2011, when he won the ‘grand slam’ of four national titles, including Formula Kart Stars and the British Open Championship. Two seasons later he finished second in the CIK FIA European championship and British Super One. Last year he contested the WSK Champions Cup with Zanardi Strakka Racing.

He’s excited to be taking on the challenge of the FIA-certified MSA Formula championship: “It’s amazing to make the step up from karting and I’m really happy to have signed with Fortec to race in the new MSA Formula. It’s the perfect place to kick-start my single-seater career. I’ve already done a bit of pre-season testing and the car feels great.”

Fortec team manager Daniel Mitchell said of his new charge: “It’s a great signing for Fortec: there’s absolutely no question of his talent so it is down to us now to provide him with the equipment. Pre-season testing so far has been positive but we feel as a team there is still a lot more to come.” Fortec is one of the largest and most successful teams contesting MSA Formula, with a long history of victories in Renault World Series, Formula 3, Formula Renault and GT racing.

Ticktum is the seventh teenage British karting frontrunner to opt for MSA Formula as the launchpad for their car-racing careers. Racing Steps Foundation-backed driver Josh Smith will be Daniel’s Fortec running mate, while the Carlin team has signed Lando Norris and TRS Arden have Sandy Mitchell and Enaam Ahmed on board. JTR will meanwhile field James Pull and Dan Baybutt.

Frontrunners for the inaugural MSA Formula crown will take part in the first collective test of the season on Thursday at Brands Hatch, gaining vital experience of the Kent circuit which will host the opening rounds of the live-televised championship 4/5 April.

MSA Formula – Certified by FIA, Powered by Ford EcoBoost is Britain’s official version of the FIA’s Formula 4 concept and will be the British Touring Car Championship’s single-seater support series, enjoying live TV coverage and bumper raceday spectator attendance. The championship will be decided over 30 races; three at each of the 10 BTCC meetings to be held between April and October.

The winning driver will hold the title FIA Formula 4 Champion of Great Britain, and will earn 10 Grand Prix Superlicence points to get his or her career off to a flying start, in addition to being awarded a career-enhancing test drive with a leading FIA Formula 3 team.